DARTs

Directed Activities Related to Texts

Eric Lunzer and Keith Gardner (1984)
Station A: Text marking
Task:
a)Match up the Shakespearean version of the prologue with its modern
translation.
b)Circle the main word/s which helped you make the match.
 
Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the activity,
completing the activity and taking feedback?
Two equally rich and important families live in Two households, both alike in dignity,
Verona, where our play is set. In fair Verona (where we lay our scene),

They hate each other because of an old From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
argument. Now the argument has begun again
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
and people get hurt in the fighting.

The two families have two children who are From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
cursed with bad luck. They fall in love with each
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
other, and kill themselves.

The deaths of their children ends the fighting Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
between the two sets of parents. Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.

The tragic bad luck of the lovers, and the fighting The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
between their parents, And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

(which only their children's deaths could end), is Which but their children's end nought could
remove,
now the subject of our play. Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;

So if you listen carefully to our play, you will find The which if you with patient ears attend
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to
out exactly what happened. mend.
 Sequencing the prologue

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona (where we lay our scene),

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

The which if you with patient ears attend

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Which but their children's end nought could remove,

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;

The fearful passage of their death-marked love,

And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Station B: Sequencing
Task:
a) Read through the cards which are the key events in the play. Put
them in order along the timeline.
 
Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the
activity, completing the activity and taking feedback?
Station C: Text marking
Task:
a) As you read through the prologue, match up the correct images
and translations to the text.
 
Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the
activity, completing the activity and taking feedback?
There are two very similar families
In the beautiful city of Verona, where our story takes place
Their long-standing hatred erupts into new violence
And citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens.

Two unlucky children of these enemy families

Become lovers and commit suicide.
Their unfortunate deaths
Put an end to and buries their parents' fight.

We will watch the story of their doomed love

And their parents' anger,
Which nothing but the children’s deaths could stop,
For the next two hours on this stage.

If you listen to us patiently,

We’ll make up for everything we’ve left out in this prologue onstage
Station D: Cloze
Task:
a) Read through each line and then choose one of the three words
in the right column to write into the space.  

Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the
activity, completing the activity and taking feedback?
Station E: Text Restructuring
Task:
a) In your pair, label yourselves A and B.
• Person A explains what the story of Romeo and Juliet is about to B, using the
words on the dart board. Try to use those words worth more points.
• Person B listens to the explanation and circles a word on the dart board
when they hear it. At the end, they count up the points. Who won?
b) Swap roles.
c) Write a summary together using all the best words! Compare to another pair.

 Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the activity,
completing the activity and taking feedback?
Station F: Text restructuring
Task:
a) Highlight the key words in the prologue.
b) Classify the words using your Venn diagram. They can be love ,
hate, both or other.

Reflection 1:
• What type of DART activity is being used? Is there more than one?
• What types of reading are being used? What type of active
• reading strategy is it asking you to use?
 
Reflection 2:
• Is it a pre, during or post reading activity?
• How could you adapt this activity for more able or less able pupils?
• What could be some challenges for the teacher in setting up the
activity, completing the activity and taking feedback?